Boiler tube cleaner



Aug. 30,- 1932. F, H, OLE 1,874,452

BOILER TUBE CLEANER Filed Sept. 25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 ZP all 7 7 v QR w v \w y Z v HgVTOR l c ATTOREY Aug. 30, 1932. F. H. COLE 1,874,452

BOILER TUBE CLEANER Filed Sept. 25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 QQQQQQQ@ 000cm@ @2 000s@ Q j C) C) C) C) CDGCEDGGGG GGQQQO "O @@QQQ?) C) O C) C) C) @0&000000000 @$500 0000@ Patented Aug. 30, 1932 y unirsi) STATES FRANK H. COLE, F WALPOLE, MASSA(.'HSE'FTSk BorLER TUBE CLEANER Application filed September 25, 1928. Serial No. 308,300.

This invention relates to boiler tube cleaners and more especially to the general type of cleaners disclosed in my Patent No. 1,635,355, granted July 19, 1927.

Boiler tube cleaners of this character com- Y .prise a spray head or nozzle head provided with a series of nozzles designed to direct j ets `of steam, or other fluid'under pressure, into the tubes'and thus to blow the soot, ash and other foreign materials out of the tubes. This spray head is mounted on a track for traversing movement, and mechanism is provided for moving the head on the track to carry the jets across the ends of the entire series of tubes.

rlhe present invention is especially concerned with the means for supporting and traversing the nozzle head, and it aims to provide a superior mechanism for this purpose.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of a boiler equipped with a tube cleaner embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1, part of the smoke box being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the nozzle head carriage and adjacent parts; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional View illustrating the mounting of one of the rolls for the carriage.

The cleaner shown may be used in any form of fire tube boiler. The boiler illustrated includes a casing 2, tubes 3, tube sheet 4, and smoke box 5. The nozzle head is indicated at and it carries a series of nozzles 7 which, as above stated, are designed to direct jets of steam into the tubes. Steam is supplied to the nozzle head through flexible connections 8 and 9 leading from a supply valve 1() which is located outside the boiler casing and is provided with a sprocket wheel 12 carrying ,a chain 13 by means of-which the valve may be openedL or closed from the floor. These parts are constructed and arranged in essentially the same manner as in the-cleaner shown in my prior patent above designated.

The nozzle head 6 is supported by a carriage 14 which is mounted to run on a horizontal track 15 supported rigidly in the smoke boX. Preferably this track is of angular cross-section, as clearly shown inthe drawings, and it is provided at its opposite ends with flanges which are bolted or riveted to the shell or casing 2 of the boiler. The carriage preferably is mounted onl rolls and for this purpose is provided with anuppergrooved roll 16 which'runs on the ridge of the track 15, and with two additional grooved rolls 17-17 that engage the lower edge of the track. These rolls cooperate to grip the track, as will be obvious from an inspection of Fig. 3, and in order to adjust their clearance so that they may run freely while still exerting the proper grip on the track, the upper roll is mounted on an eccentric stud 18.

-Referring to Fig. 4 it will be observed that ward or from the track 15. In Fig. 4 the roll is shown spaced slightly from the track for purposes of clearness.

When the cleaner is in operation there is some back pressure due tothe discharge of the steam through the nozzle 7, and this back pressure tends to swing the lower end of the nozzle head yaway from the ends of the tubes. Any such tendency, however, is ei'fectually resisted by the angular piece 21, Figs. 1 and 3. which is bolted or riveted to the carriage 14 and engages the upper inclined surface of the right-hand slope of the track 15, as clearly shown in the drawings.

The traversing movementof the nozzle ,head"preferably is lproduced by a screw threaded mechanism. -For this purpose a horizontal screw threaded shaft 22 is mounted immediately below the track 15 and with- .in the angle of the track, and one end of the shaft is extended through the boiler casing and equipped with a sprocket wheel 23 engaged by a chain 24 which extends to within a convenient heightv from the floor so that it y quantities, and this track also eiiectual'ly pro- A180 can be operated to rotate the shaft. The carriage 14 is provided with a nut or traveller 24 which is internally screw threaded to engage the threads of the shaft 22. This nut is rigidly mounted in the carriage which supports the nozzle head 6, so that When the n shaftis revolved the nutaandcarriage are the valve 10 by pulling on the ohanl. and,r4

thus revolving the Wheel 12 in the proper'direction to admit steam .toy ythe nozzle head 6.4 and-nozzles 7. Then by pulling on the chain :24.116 -firevolves the shacft 22 andthus 4travenses the nozzlesfraerossffthe.-endswoff the'tubesf. Thisa operation isv continued .unti1:.;the' :tubes have :been Acleanedrtothe desired degree; at fiwhich .time thef valvel 10- is closed.

It: will thus hey :evident thatezthe: invention -provides s a relatively: 'simple' .construct-ion of boifleiiftubefcleaner which: 'canl be manufac- :tuledy and installed economically@ and is very -convenient A to operate. y=The langular con- :stmctionlof track isfofx advantage in 'shedding the. soot, i ash, f and fthe' -'lifke.vvhich,fA of course, .travel throughthe smoke boxain considerable .tects therthreadsof lthe shat'22 from falling lso'ot,;an`d A'theilike -Boththe .track andf'the traversing rme'cha-nism;Y therefore are t maintained free of any accumulations f 'these-mauterials whichuwouldseviouslyl interfere with the .operation Vof the` apparatus. fWhilevI haveihereinv shownand described a preferred yembodiment of? fmy invention, it `will vbe :understood that: the invention vmay be -fembodiediin otherfforms vv'vi'thfmt "departingrom the vspirit orE scope thereof. l Y Having thus described my invention, Vwhat VIfdesireto claim as-newis`: y

1. iIn -aboi-ler tube =cleaner,f' the combination of a nozzle head, meansfor conducting steam to said? head, a carriage supporting i h 4,tion of a nozzle head, meansfor'corducting and means operable to rotate said shaft and thereby to traverse said head on said track.

4. InV a boiler tube cleaner, the combination of a nozzle head, means for conducting steam to said head, a carriage supporting said head, ascrew threaded shaft mounted in saidr boiler andin operative engagement with said',.ca.rriage,f.a guard of angulary cross-sec- VVtion rigidly supported in said boiler in position to rotect said vshaft from soot and the like-,smd'guad forming a track on which said -carriage is supported for traversing. movement, and means operable to rotate said shaftandtherebyto. traverse said head on said track.

,:,|5.. Ima: boilen tubefcleaner`,; the combination of ,ai nozzle fhead, nozzles manned. .thereyby,zmea1x'1s for conducting steamto said head,

a carriage supporting ysaidizhead, ascrew threaded rshat 'Withywhiohf `'said 'carriage is operatively engaged, means;'sppporting saidy yshaft f' in a V horizontal i position, ,fsaid v.shaft"extending approximatelyvpamllel to the ,planea 'off the ends ofi. the boiler zxtubes,

.means operable to rotatefsaid shaft and therebytotraverse said 4head to move saidmozzles across ,the ends of the .f boilerz tubes; andra :guard-1. for kvsaid shaft serving/falso-,to rguide carriage during :itsitraversing movement.

FRANK H.--: ooLE.

steamtosaid head, a carriage supporting said head,.a screw' threaded shaft mounted in said boilerand in operative engagement with said carriage, a guard :for saidshaftfforming a track on which said carriage is mounted, 

